Those that follow the Jewel
by Illusionary Ghost
Summary: I decided to try a touch at the a.u. for some weird reason. This is another world where everything is based in the present.
1. Part 1

****

(Author's Note: Hmm I decided to try a touch at the a.u. for some weird reason. This is another world where there was no way to the past, where everything is based in the present. J This first part should be listened to track 22 or 23 of the first Inuyasha cd, if you have it…

Special Thanks: To God, my friends, and my computer at work… and of course Rumiko Takahashi for creating such a wonderful manga/anime.)

February 6, 2002

By Yashira

__

Those that follow the Jewel

Part 1

The touch of fragile wind against his warm skin was like a feather-soft kiss as the feel of the warm sunlight cascaded all around him. Such a feeling of contentment made Miroku close his eyes with a sigh of tranquil acquiescence. "I can't believe I'm skipping lunch for this, but the Sakura trees are beautiful this time of year."

Nearby stood Kagome, brown eyes like pools of midsummer heat, which grinned at him almost foolishly, "Nee, Miroku-kun, but you're glad you came right?" Miroku let out a throaty chuckle as he held out his right hand and took hers in kind. Unmarked, smooth, and untouched, his fingers wrapped around hers gingerly.

"Yeah, I'm glad you talked me into this." His violet eyes, gentle and relaxed, glanced easily across the world of trees that lay scattered around them. He watched the pink open petals as they fell, like winter's first blizzard, around them in eddying swirls. "I think I was studying too hard."

Kagome nodded her hand tightening around his right hand, her fingers digging into his palm, as he pulled her carefully up the broken mound of dirt and twisted root. "Sometimes I think all you do is study."

He seemed embarrassed, his cheeks flustering as pink as the surrounding petals that got caught up in this black hair, "Well, someone has to pass at math."

"Mooo, Miroku-kun, you don't have to rub that in," Kagome's tone was scolding and her eyes, frowning as if his reminder of her math grades, was a pure no no. "I'm trying... Math is just…"

"Difficult?? Boring?" He offered, grinning at her foolishly. "I like to think you're just lazy."

She jerked her hand back from him, pulling her soft fingers from his with a hasty pull. "Why do you always have to tease me…"

"You always take it so seriously Kagome-sama. Do me a favour and never change."

He'd spoken so seriously that she blinked rapidly and fixed startled eyes on him. "Huh?"

His face clouded over with a smirk, his lips quirking into a chuckle, he was breaking into a laugh. "Now that's a secret."

"That's not fair using Xellos's key phrase," she thew out as he turned on his feet and started through the ocean of pink and white. He disappeared down the forest path that meandered with freckles of green grass now and again and she called back worriedly. "Hey... where are you going?"

"Lunch ends in about 5 minutes… you want to be late for class today?"

"EEEEK."

vvv

Kagome slumped down into her chair, her breath raging in her fluttering chest, as she stared ahead with shaky hands. "Good, I made it…" She was taking hard breaths to replenished the air she'd lost, in that long distance run through the fields and back to class, as her friends cluttered around her desk conspiratory like.

"You took Miroku-kun to the cherry blossom field eh?" That was from her friend with the short brown hair and big eyes.

"Yea, dumping Hojo-kun?" One of her other friends, this one sporting a bandana, was leaning against her desk conspiratory like, her fingers hiding her lips as she smiled at Kagome, knowingly.

"Huh? He and I are just very good friends, "Kagome replied instantly, although her cheeks tried to hide a faint blush of red. "He's family…" Miroku had practically grown up, side by side with her.

"Yeah, but you've been through Kindergardern all the way to Highschool now…" Her last friend chimed in, her hands resting intimately on Kagome's desk. "Wasn't he there when your dad died?"

Kagome took a startle breath at the mention of her father, it was an old wound that had never healed, and for them to bring it up so causal… hurt.

"Ah Kagome-sama," Miroku called out, his voice like a beacon of light amidst the sea of nosy friends, "You dropped your pencil case." He waved a small cushy bag, his face a picture of pure innocent, as he stood in the frame of the doorway.

"AH, thank you, Miroku-kun," Kagome gave her friends a look to disperse, her eyes narrowing on them with the words "get" as Miroku strolled over causally and dropped the pencil case on her head, "Eh?"

"I swear you're so forgetful, sometimes," he replied in a belabored moan as he glided into his seat behind her. "Sometimes I wonder if you have your head screwed on." However his tone was not cruel or mocking, just simply teasing. He looked at her with an expression of pretended annoyance.

Kagome grabbed her pencil case and set it down beside her open textbook as she rolled her eyes. "Gees."

"Class, sorry I'm late," Tanaka-sensei came running in, his tie shaken, his jacket haphazardly thrown over his shoulders as he slammed his brief case onto his desk. He adjusted his awry glasses, succeeding somehow in making them tilt in an even more off handed manner. "Before we begin with reviews for the test this Friday…" He began as he scooped up a piece of chalk and began to scratch up a few shaky squalls along the blackboard. "We have two new students recently transferred from Okinikan High, as you recalled that school recently burned down in a most unfortunate fire and their students are being transferred to all available campuses."

There were soft mutters about the fires, rustling whispers that tickle the back of Kagome's hearing with soft treads on feathery fingers, but she couldn't hear most of it since the door to the right was opening up and Tanaka-sensei was calling forward the two new students in question.

A tall girl with smooth black hair tied in a pony tail, books hugged to her chest as if she were afraid to let go, took nervous steps into the class room as a boy, with equally black hair, followed after her. He held his arms-crossed, his gaze aloof, as he carried a backpack slung casually over his shoulders. "Class, I would like to introduce Ms. Onnade Sango and Mr. Ogakai Inuyasha."

Kagome, her voice mingled with that of Miroko's and of those of her class, all welcomed the newcomers at once, "Welcome Onnade Sango, Ogakai Inuyasha."

Sango bowed respectfully as Inuyasha just stood there frowning, his dark eyes glaring at anyone to just find anything wrong with him. He wore the dark collar uniform of a high school student and his long hair was held back by a piece of twine; he stood there with a most sour grimace. Most students who glanced up at his grim face quickly returned their startled eyes to the white plastered walls, plain tiled floor, or black- board with feign expressions of interest held elsewhere. "Thank you very much," Sango replied softly her voice soft, just a bit passive as she smiled reticently.

"Now that you got your paper work taken care of," Tanaka-sensei continued on as he struggled with the piece of chalk and the black board in question, "You can take a seat while I'll begin class."

"Ah, she's so pretty," Kagome heard clearly from some of her girl friends as the gossip in the class rose in hushed tones. Inuyasha seemed to follow Sango like a little trailing puppy dog. He stumbled after her as she chose two seats at the far right of the room. "And he looks so dangerous… but his name's odd… puppy...something?" She heard the confused murmurs as they talked back and forth about the two new students, but Kagome simply began to tune out the admiration and awe whispers that were flowing back and forth. Paying the girl who wore a similar green and white uniform like hers little attention, she turned back to stare at her textbook. New students seemed to come in every day now that Okinikan school had burned down so that it was getting trivial… boring even. With her attention span dying, she turned her head back to Miroku who was already scribbling the notes he was copying from the black board to his notebook. She quietly whispered, "Did we study this yesterday?"

He chuckled, not even looking up to face her, his voice mildly condescending, "Of course Kagome-sama."

"Gah... I'm so going to fail." She dropped her face, staring into the incomprehensible notes she was currently taking, with a sickly green look to her face.

His laugher, low and sonorous seemed to trail after her, "We'll study at my grandfather's house… I'll make sure you won't fail for Friday's test. Or least least not fail so badly…"

She rolled her eyes, "Gee, I don't know whether to thank you... or strangle you…"

"You could always bear my child… He chuckled again as she turned in her seat to look at him with wide surprising eyes. "I'm kidding Kagome-chan. It'll just be nice to have some company again. It's only me and granddad these days."

"Miroku-kun…" Her voice soften and she noticed that his hands had tensed a bit as he spoke those last words. She hadn't been the only one to loose a father. She made a consenting sound, "But if I fail I'm not going to be happy."

"If you fail... no one will be happy," He said solemnly, glancing up, violet eyes mocking now, "And your mother will wonder what we did."

"You're incorrigible…"

He chuckled, clearly amused.

"Since you seem to like to talk," Tanaka-sensei interrupted suddenly, placing both chalk filled hands on Kagome's desk which was sure to leave a mark, "I want you to help Onnade Sango, and Ogakai Inuyasha get used to the school routine here." While it was clearly obvious that no one had heard anything Miroku and Kagome had been whispering, the fact that Kagome had turned in her desk to face her friend was enough of reason for the teacher to laden this sudden duty on her.

"Get used… to?"

"Yes, do you have any problems with that?" Tanaka-sensei ran his hands through his short hair, leaving chalk residue within the black disordered hair, as the fluorite light reflected off his glasses in glints. The whole class turned their eyes on her.

"Uh no... not really…" She ducked her face into the text book and quickly proceeded to look very busy, "I'd… be honoured."

"Good."

vvv

When class ended, Kagome rose gingerly from her seat, books gathered up into her arms, as she bowed regretfully to Miroku, "I gotta go show them around… sorry."

Miroku glanced up, his fingers running smoothly through his dark hair, as he gathered his books hastily. "Sorry? I think we got 15 minutes between each class… let me take your things…" Catching hold of her books and pencil case, he pushed her forward, "Now you can explain with your hands like the Italians do…"

"Miroku-kun…" she shook her head, almost laughing. "You are always saying something funny."

He laughed warmly as Kagome started towards the desk where Sango was now rising to her feet from. "I live to serve..."

"Feh, I don't see why we had to come to this school," Inuyasha was muttering angrily, his tone of disgust dripping sourly like over ripe lemons, "It's not like there weren't other places to go…"

"Hush Inuyasha," Sango said smartly, "We're here for the next couple of semesters or until they can rebuilt Okinikan... we need to be polite…"

He was glaring off to the side, his dark eyes, like midnight oil, seemed to burn holes into the nondescript floor as he crossed his arms rudely, "Feh…"

"Ano nee…" Kagome began softly and as politely as she could when she stopped in front of them. "I'm Higurashi Kagome. Tanaka-sensei "suggested" I should help you get used to the school."

"Ah, hello Kagome-chan," Sango said brightly, "It would be very helpful if you can do that… we're very new here."

There were grumbled curses coming from Inuyasha, "We don't need help," but before he could continued Sango jumped in front of him and kicked him hard in the left shin.

"We're new... we need lots of help," She beamed at Kagome while desperately trying to hide the grumbling words that had escaped Inuyasha's offending lips. She offered her hand, smiling as she did so, "Call me Sango… this is Inuyasha. We both used to be schoolmates from our old school."

Kagome took Sango's hand and gave it a prompt shake as she glanced over to the sulking Inuyasha who was rudely looking away. Her eyes seem to say what her lips would not. Idiot. 

"This is Manzai Miroku," Kagome began as she realized she hadn't introduced him yet. 

"Ah how do you do," Miroku replied making a sweeping bow as he took Sango's hand and proceeded to plant a kiss on her started hand. She stared to colour a bit as Kagome giggled.

"Miroku-kun is our school's lover boy…"

"Kagome-sama…" He replied, his tone totally insincere, "I'm scandalized."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at Miroku's comment before he shook his head, his hair swaging back and forth like a horse's tail. "Look Sango, we don't need anyone to help us... especially not some playboy…"

"Inuyasha, "Sango began carefully, "You can go look around if you want, but I'm not about to blunder helplessly… Kagome-chan can you tell me where 314 is?"

"Ah that's English. I have that next class; you can come with me…" Kagome was smiling politely and bowing respectfully, "It's on the third floor and I can show you the way."

"Actually that room is on Inuyasha's timetable…" Sango replied thoughtfully as she handed a piece of white paper over to him, "You can take him to class."

"Excuse me... didn't I say I didn't need an escort…" Inuyasha was clearly scowling now, glaring with outright hostility into Kagome's startled face. "And why would I want to follow after a someone like her."

Sango acted as if she didn't hear him, "He has a big mouth, but don't let that get you. He's more bark than bite. Just be sure he gets to his next class, he's been known to cut class sometimes."

Kagome stared at the sulking boy, who was glaring at her with hard angry eyes. She was suppose to make sure HE got to class?!

"Hey, I was still talking here," Inuyasha snarled angrily, "And she stinks… I can't stand girls who smell."

Kagome's face took on a strangled look as if she wasn't quite sure to grin and bear it or to take out a baseball bat and smack the living daylights out of him. "Well if he thinks he can do it himself, why not let him… Sensei said I should help you also…"

"Well my next class is 112... looks like it may be on a different floor…" Sango was glaring at Inuyasha as she spoke, her eyes screaming at him to behave and curb his tongue. Inuyasha, like any under aged school boy, just stuck out his tongue. 

"Gym," Miroku replied offhandedly, "It's on my way to woodshop, I can show you that if you don't mind."

Sango bowed. "That would be most helpful, thank you, Manzai-sama."

"Why do I suddenly feel like I got the worst deal," Kagome replied, staring at the departing Miroku and Sango with something akin to betrayal. Behind her Inuyasha seethed.

End of this part.


	2. Part 2

February 16, 2002

By Yashira

Those that Follow the Jewel

Part 2

In hushed murmurs Kagome took her seat at the front of the class with Inuyasha being a mere sulking blur behind her. She ran a hand in annoyance over her tired neck as he sat down behind her. Kagome didn't know what was going on with this guy, but if he wanted to get himself into trouble with the teachers over skipping English ON his first day, that was all HIS concern! NOT HERS! She hadn't asked to get stuck chaperoning him around and furthermore she realized, with a stifling groan, that Miroku still had her things. He'd offer to carry them, but they had both forgotten about it. ~Just great, now what am I suppose to write with and write on?~

At her desk, her hands folded over the polish wood, she frowned thoughtfully. She could get up and run out of the classroom, which meant she risked being late, or she could just stay behind and look incompetent without texts and writing equipment. 

Behind her she could hear the growing murmurs of Inuyasha as he sorted through his books and paper. He sounded as if he was about to start throwing things. Why had he bothered following after her, when he had such a sour disposition? She had the paranoid feeling he just wanted to see how much he could annoy her, but that was foolish. He already didn't like her so why bother making it worst. "Hey you," she turned around in her seat, fixing him with a narrow look, "You could be a bit nicer, you know."

Inuyasha's brown eyes fixed on Kagome's with clearest annoyance, his words salted in irritation, "Bleh, you still stink."

The temple in her forehead clearly twitched. She wasn't used to people not liking her, especially for an assine assumption that she stank, so she glared at him accordingly. "You are the most rudest person I have ever met."

"Did I say stink, you reek." He took out a pen and pretended to look down his nose at her. "Very badly."

"What? Are you in gradeschool still?" His petty insult was like something a child would use on another child.

That got him. He stared at her squarely in the eyes, his face hard as stone. "Are you suggesting I'm a kid?"

"I don't have to suggest it, you act it." Her words were smooth, almost as if prepared, and she smiled to herself as she noticed he visibly shook in anger. 

"Yeah well, you're ugly, and completely-"

"Oh that's original," she turned in her seat, already tuning him out as she huffed silently to herself. ~Great… a complete idiot…~

"KAGOME-SAMA!"

She jerked her head up with a start, obviously startled as Miroku appeared breathless, his violet eyes scanning the room quickly, by the doorway. Kagome bolted to her feet anxiously, "Miroku-kun? What… what's wrong? You look so pale."

The other students had turned surprised eyes to where he stood panting in the doorway, Kagome's things nearly forgotten in his hands, as Sango appeared behind him, looking excitability concerned. "There's been an accident with your mother, Kagome-sama."

Kagome nearly sunk to her knees, the words taking her by underhanded blows, "What…"

"There was some sort of car accident or something... Kagome-sama!" Miroku raced forward, dropping her things on the desk, to catch her as she lost her balance and fell forward. 

Inuyasha glanced up, looking carefully at Sango who was swallowing grimly; she returned his knowing look with one of her own.

vvv

"Will she be okay?" Sango was asking Miroku as he took a seat on one of the hospital's black lounge chairs. The room was huge, it had an entire western wall made mostly of glass to let in the afternoon sunlight, while black mats lined along the bases of the dozen chairs stacked in rows near the busy nurse's counter. The room also smelled of disinfectant cleaner and stale recycled air. 

"Miroku-sama?" She pressed again, her voice soft with concern as she watched him sit with his legs open, elbows on his knees, and face hiding in his hands. She reached down a gentle hand on his shoulder, surprised with how cold he was, as she sat beside him. Inuyasha sat in a chair opposite them, his gaze aloof, his expression almost unreadable. 

"I don't know," Miroku whispered, his voice deceptively soft, "She, like me, doesn't have a lot of family left... if she looses her mother… it may just break her."

Sango offered him the paper cup of water she'd taken from the cooler, located just a few steps away, and bade him to drink, "I'm so sorry."

Miroku lifted his face, his eyes rubbed red with concern and perhaps hidden tears, as he took the cup from her nimble fingers. "Thank you, but you didn't have to come."

She smiled delicately, her eyes sad, "I know, but you needed someone who could drive and I was the only one with the nearest car. Most of the other students either walk or commute by bus... and it would behave been horrible to make Kagome to take the transit."

He nodded knowingly before glancing over to Inuyasha who was now glaring at the child next to him. The little boy was staring back at the bigger "child" as if he were a green headed alien with three heads, "He looks liable to eat that kid let alone beat him; why did you bring him?"

Sango rolled her eyes and sighed with an exasperated air, "I wouldn't be surprised either, but I promised his guardian I'd keep an eye on him… and I couldn't leave him at school alone."

"You know I can hear you both," Inuyasha snarled, turning glaring eyes on them both, his tone viscously accusing.

"Well, you're such a troublemaker Inuyasha. I had to let him know…" Sango remarked causally as she rubbed her fingers tiredly over each other. "You get into more trouble then anyone else I know."

Inuyasha frowned at her, his lips quirking in rage, "Like you're miss perfect yourself?"

"Inuyasha behave yourself… we're in a hospital…" Sango's tone was hard, her gaze brusque, as she gestured around herself to remind him of where they were.

He scowled furiously as he jerked to his feet. "FINE, I'm leaving." 

vvv

"You must forgive him, he's been like that for so long that it's embarrassing sometimes." Sango's dark eyes were apologetic and a bit sad, "He's got a lot of issues in his life to deal with… I try to help him when he needs someone…"

"You don't need to explain," Miroku replied quietly, taking a strained sip of water. He didn't feel like he could hold much down and drinking was a forced effort. "I know how that feels."

She looked down at her hands, rubbing them a bit more awkwardly now that she had his attention. She was clearly uncomfortable. "I just feel better saying something then nothing. He's not a bad guy, but just misunderstood… Besides you look like you need to get your mind off this."

Miroku coughed, nearly sputtering as the water went down the wrong way. "I just hate this hospital… it just gives me bad memories…"

"I'm sorry…" She looked worried, her fingers running through her tangled hair uneasily, as she glanced away.

"Don't be," he replied quietly, rising awkwardly to his feet, "That's not your fault."

vvv

Inuyasha moved with purposeful steps, his footsteps firm, his stance threatening as if he could go and do anything he pleased as he stormed down the white tiled hallways. The rooms around him made him nervous, he'd remembered them as previous memories, but he was determined to show no fear. What was in his past, was his own, thinking about it now would not bring any of them back. Abruptly he stopped as a voice in the chilled quietness pulled at his attention without meaning to.

"Kagome-chan… why are you crying…"

Inuyasha froze. He hadn't meant to come this way. He hadn't meant to stop outside of the doorway in which Kagome's sobs issued forth like some torturous banshee wails. He could hear her whimpers, and for some unknown reason they... bothered him. He stopped and peered into the room, his expression grim.

It was a two patient room with the dividing curtains in place, but the bed by the window was empty. He looked carefully inside… and found an old man standing by the side of the second bed with a little boy tucked under his arms as if he had spent himself with tears and could no longer stand, while Kagome… Inuyasha's eyes widen as he saw the girl that "so annoyed" him, with her fragile arms around her mother's broken body, weeping openly. Her defiance replaced with meekness. 'Mama," She could barely speak without having her words punctuated with breathless tears.

  
"I'll be okay... don't cry... be strong for mama-sake, Kagome…" The woman was having trouble forming words, and even from where he stood Inuyasha could tell it was a struggle for her to focus on each of those words even now. 

"MAMA!" Kagome couldn't let go of her mother's body, and Inuyasha's gaze looked rueful as it traced the numerous amounts of wires and tubes which ran all over the woman's body. She'd been hurt so badly in that car accident… very badly.

"Kagome-chan... please... take care of Souta and Grandad…" The words were mere breaths, not even a solid whisper… and there was so much pain in those words.

"Don't leave me mama…" With her started cry of fear, Souta seemed to jerk awake, and he threw his arms around both his mother and sister. He was terrified.

"MAMA!"

Inuyasha stared, his dark eyes regarding the scene with something akin to apprehensive restlessness. It was almost as if, in his eyes, he could see this entire scene play out with different players and yet the scene was coldly the same.

"Souta, watch your sister for me and your grandfather… Father… watch both my children for me…"

"Mama," Souta was in tears, his eyes red beyond belief, "MAMA!"

"All of you... promise me..." The words were so hard to get out, it was a clear struggle for Ms. Higurashi to say that much, let alone sound insistence.

"You shouldn't listen in to something private," Miroku said quietly to Inuyasha, who jerked around in surprise. He hadn't been listening to those who walked in the hallway, seemingly intent on what was happening in this room, that he'd been careless.

"Yeah well," he started to come up with some excuse, but Miroku did not remain to hear it. He pushed passed him, moving swiftly to Kagome's tearstain side, as if Inuyasha was mere air.

"MAMA, stop it… don't do this... don't leave us..!" Kagome's grip was tight on her mothers' arm and Miroku found himself reaching firmly to pull her from her mother's silent form. "Let me go. I'm not leaving mama!"

"Kagome-sama… let her alone…" His words were soft, his expression pained, as she turned around and broke into heartpaing sobs against his school uniform. "She has to rest…" True to his words, Ms. Higurashi's eyes had shut and her breathing slowed to almost non existence. ~Just don't die Ms. Higurashi…~ Miroku's eyes seemed to say as Kagome's sobs melted against his uniform. ~It would kill her.~

Inuyasha watched all this without saying a further word. Turning around silently he caught sight of Sango as she waited nearby. "Inuyasha..."

"What?" He sounded defensive.

"You don't have to snap at me. Nee, what's wrong... you aren't still bothered that she looks like Kikyo... are you?"

He seemed to choke on air, turning hard callus eyes on Sango, "They're nothing alike, this girl is an annoying brat." Once more, as if staying meant having to admit something, he turned on his heels and walked off. 

Sango glanced over to where Miroku was holding the still sobbing girl, "Then why get so huffy?"

End of this Part.


	3. Part 3

March 2-11, 2002

Those that follow the Jewel

Part 3

By Yashira

Miroku's voice was soft, rather deceptively quiet, as he squeezed both Kagome's and Souta's shoulders with gentle reassurances. He sat in the back seat of Sango's sports car with Kagome on his right side, her head tucked against his shoulder, while Souta laid on his left. Both of them looked to be sleeping. "Thank you for taking us home. I'm sorry we're such a bother."

Sango adjusted the rearview mirror with her left hand as if it held more interest to her. "Manzai-sama, it is nothing," she'd returned to using his last name again as she shook her head in dismissal, "I'm just glad to help out. Besides… even under these circumstances… it's a chance to make new friends…"

He nodded as the car ground to a halt outside the white cemented steps that rose up into the Temple ground above. "You have a big heart, to help strangers... it will not go unrewarded." 

"Feh, you sound like a monk," came the sour reply as Inuyasha, in the passenger seat by Sango, turned to glare out the window with disgust. Fresh spring petals were twirling down from the trees above and he glared at each and every one of them with the same vengeance he reserved for Kagome and Miroku.

"Well since Inuyasha doesn't seem to want to help, he can stay in the car," Sango's tone was calm although there was curtness to it that belied her annoyance with her friend. She unbuckled her seatbelt and rose quickly to open the back door for Miroku, "Let me carry the boy." 

"Ah, thank you, Onnade-sama." He eased the tear-stained boy into Sango's arms as he mindfully twisted the sleeping Kagome over his shoulder. 

"You can call me Sango, Onnade-sama, always sounds so formal…" She smiled at Souta as the child stirred and perked his eyes open. His brown eyes glanced around in confusion. "Hey little guy. You're home, hmm, this reminds me of the time I used to lift my…" She stopped, the words rooted to her lips by some unseen force, as she turned her face and coughed discreetly. She tried to speak again, but the words had oddly changed, "Here we go… up, up and away we go…"

Miroku, with Kagome held protectively in his grasp, lead the way up the steps to the temple above. 

**

Inuyasha paced idly in the kitchen as he made circles around the dinner table, his face a perfect picture of annoyance. With arms folded tightly over his school uniform, he growled when Sango and Miroku finally returned. "It's about time Sango."

"Inuyasha, I don't know why you came after us, but if all you're going to do is complain, you should go back to the car. OR… better yet, maybe I'll just call your brother to pick you up, would that be better for you?" Sango's tone was flat, her gaze and stance firm, yet the tinge of venom clung visibly to it. If he was going to pull an attitude with her, she seemed ready to pull one of her own. 

"ACK." Inuyasha glowered at her, but the brief flash of alarm in his eyes, had registered enough of a notice in the other two present, that this was the last thing Inuyasha would want. Turning around on them, giving them the broadside of his back, he moved to examine the kitchen window.

Miroku moved towards the fridge, pulling out what looked to be a pitcher of iced tea, before he quickly poured 3 cups worth and set them down on a tray. "I think they'll sleep for now…" Miroku looked extremely tired as he moved, his eyes rubbed red as he spoke to Sango and set the tray on the table before her. "They were badly shocked."

"I really hope her mother will recover," Sango, her tone etched in sympathy, took up the cup sadly, "But she was hit pretty hard by that careless driver."

Miroku nearly choked as he swallowed the brown liquid. Mrs. Higurashi's body had looked so broken, so shallow beneath the hospital's white bed sheets that he wondered how much _time _she truly had left. "It would take a miracle to heal her. It… seems so hopeless…"

Sango exhaled a pained breath as she nodded and sat down on one of the chairs. "If we had a Holy Grail, like in legends we could do it…"

Miroku, his eyes almost furious, had to bit back a hard word, "Don't spout fairytales, this is not a joke." Sango's face whiten and she immediately glanced down at her feet as if embarrassed before Miroku visibly recovered. "I'm sorry… I did not mean to yell."

"No, it's okay, I understand exactly." She paused, glancing back to where Inuyasha stared out the kitchen, before turning thoughtful. "But if I told you I knew of something like that.. something real and powerful that is able to heal… grant wishes… would you believe that?"

Miroku stared firmly into Sango's brown eyes as if searching for any sign of malicious humor on her part. He regarded her thoughtfully even though the hint of anger still seemed to linger behind his red eyes. "You're very serious, aren't you."

"I'm very serious," she nodded as Inuyasha unexpectedly whirled around to face them. 

"Sango, what the fuck are you doing!?" He stormed towards her and stopped right between them. His brown eyes were hard like steel, his stance extremely rigid as if he were preparing for a fight. "It's suppose to be locked away!?"

"Inuyasha, it was meant to help people, not hinder them. Our first act in getting it back should be to help people with it. Manzai-sama, if I tell you this will you promise not to tell anyone else. "

"Sango~!" Inuyasha looked as if he was about to jump out of his skin. "What the fuck are you thinking?!"

She didn't seem to hear him, more intent on pushing the cup back and stared right into Miroku's handsome face, "The Shikon no Tama is a jewel of many properties… I've seen it.."

"Stop it Sango…" Inuyasha's was livid, his face going all red in contort fury, as he glared between her and Miroku. "Don't say any more, stop it!"

"And it should still be there... buried under the rubble in our old school."

**

Kagome tossed and turned beneath the covers Miroku had placed her under as her thoughts grew fitful, chaotic and unblessed realistic in the locked realm of sleep.

__

Papa?

Her mother was screaming, her voice, almost as if detached from her body, was crying out for Kagome to come help her. "Kagome!"

Her legs hurt from running, her breathing hanging inside her like something alien, as she raced down the steps from her room at a furious speed. Why was her mother screaming for her?! Why was she yelling? Her heart ached as she ducked through the stairway and passed the kitchen for the basement.

"Mama?!" She thought at first she was just yelling because she was upset at her over something, but…

Her gaze rooted, her breathing going hard, Kagome stared with eyes filled with shock and terrified horrification. Her father laid on the ground, his face flat into the cement floor while her mother was desperately trying to shake him... to move him… to wake him…

But he wasn't moving.

No… 

Kagome was stunned, shocked, and completely unable to move at first. This couldn't be real... this COULDN'T BE REAL!! Her mother was screaming at her, crying at her to get help and to do something…anything, but wasn't it too late? 

Actions clouded, mind sluggishly slow, she stumbled and raced to the phone. She dialed the number, her heart beating so hard that she could not hear herself think at all. There was no DAMN dial tone ?! What kind of number was this? Was the phone broken?

She had to race back upstairs, get on the phone there and try again for help, but the same damn.. the same bloody.. the same fucking thing happened again. SHE COULDN'T REACH ANYONE!!!!! Why was this happening? Why?! WHY?! WHHHHHHHHY!!!!!!!

She ran back down stairs, her voice hysterical, as she yelled at her mother to go on the phone herself. Torn between duty to husband and the need for help, Kagome's mother could only run panicky up the steps. 

Kagome knelt by her father, her fingers reaching down to touch his cold arms, as she pulled with a strength unimaginable. Turning him over to face her, turning him over when her mother could not, she tilted his neck and tried to breath air into his unresponsive mouth. "Breathe papa... breathe…"

Nothing reflected in his eyes, his chest, or heart. 

Nothing. 

She screamed at him to listen to her, her voice exceedingly worn raw with panic, "Papa, you can't leave, you'll never see me amount to anything... you'll never see me get married…" Her voice was hoarse, her eyes oddly dry, as she hit him in the chest, hoping beyond desperation that it would jar some sort of heartbeat.. some sort of reaction. Kagome rested her head against his chest, she thought she could hear a murmur. Was it her imagination? Was it a desperate hope born from terror?

Her mother came back running to her, telling that they wanted to speak to Kagome, while she stayed with her husband. Kagome was loathed to go, wondering what stupidity they wanted to speak to her about when her papa NEEDED her! She ran upstairs, took up the phone, but the person on the other side told her stuff she had already tried. 

They did not want to understand, when she screamed at them, that she'd already tried what they wanted her to do… why were they wasting time with what had been already done?! WHY didn't they listen to her? She wanted the next step, not the last, but they did not listen to her.. no one ever listened when she spoke in those days.

She went back down stairs and tried to breathe into her father's mouth, clearly repulsed at the bitter and sour taste in his lips. She was sicken, disgusted, and she nearly threw up, but she tried to push on... she had to... try.

When the first people came, they were the firemen… they started to talk to him as if he could just wake up. She tried to tell them he couldn't, afterall she wasn't trying to hinder their job, but she had been here when they weren't, and she didn't want them wasting their time. Why did people waste time?!

She had to leave the basement with her mother, they told them both to go, while the firemen tried to help her father. And when the paramedics came… they had to wait again, but Kagome knew beyond a horrible doubt that even if they could revive her father that his mind had been a long time without oxygen.

Horrified and ugly girl, her thoughts said it would be better then if he didn't make it… better to die. Better because she did not want to have a shell of what her dad had been or the responsibility that would ensure for that. She went so far as to suggest to the fireman who was upstairs in the kitchen with her… that… "It's too late isn't it…" 

He quietly and sadly agreed with her.

Kagome bolted up in bed, her body numbed and frozen beyond belief. "Mama…"

**

Inuyasha was growling again, his fingers clenching angrily, as he scowled at Sango. "How dare you tell him."

Sango took a hard breath and then fixed Inuyasha with a terrible look. "Look it's not like you and I weren't going to go back and look for it… and now we even have a bigger reason to…"

"That's no excuse," he screamed at her, "You promised to…"

"_He_ broke the pledge to us first," and Sango's tone was quite furious, "The promise lies between you and me now and I want to use the jewel to help them."

"Between us, not them! I can't believe you would even suggest this!"

"Inuyasha, has your heart turn so cold that you can shut out-"

Miroku watched them carefully, knowing that the conversation now revolved around something else entirely, but he felt the necessary need to interrupt them now. With their raised voices they would likely wake up poor little Souta and Kagome and in their condition they needed as much sleep as they could muster. Keeping his violet eyes careful, Miroku raised a hand between them. "Please… I would ask if you would argue, not to do it here."

Sango, colouring and looking properly chasten, got to her feet and bowed in embarrassment, "Forgive me Manzai-sama."

Inuyasha turned his face, the usual, "Feh," emerging on his lips as he did so.

"I'm afraid that-"

"How soon can we go?"

"Kagome-sama!" Miroku whirled around, surprise and disbelief colouring his face, as he spied her standing in the doorway. Her eyes were rubbed red with tears and grief and yet a cold sort of determination flared there as if, no matter the odds, she was willing to do the impossible.

"I want to go… as soon as possible…"

Inuyasha stared at Kagome, his brown eyes widening at this girl, as she stood tall and proud when hours before she had been completely shattered. She was ready to face something she knew nothing about and for what? Her mother. To say he was impressed was an understatement, he was in awe.

"Kagome-sama," Miroku began mindfully, as he moved slowly towards her, "that school is a ransack rumble of stone now. No one has gone in remove the rubble yet and-"

Her eyes lifted to his and she looked resolutely into his face. "I don't care if it means saving my mom… I'll do almost anything…" A fire burn in her eyes now, one created in desperation and hope. 

"Kagome-sama…."

She looked down, suddenly ashamed, her eyes adverted, "I couldn't save my father…"

Miroku froze, instantly paling. He understood exactly what Kagome had said for hadn't it almost been the same thing with him too… 

He stopped in front of her, his fingers reaching gently for her hands, as he turned to face Sango. "When do we go?"

Sango glanced at Inuyasha… her gaze determined, "Now?"

"…"

End of this Part.


	4. Part 4

May 12, 2002

Those That Follow the Jewel

By Yashira

Part 4

Parking her car a block or so away, under the shadow of a particular overhanging tree, had been Sango's idea since she felt that would be wiser than approaching the school by foot. After all, she argued they couldn't just carelessly drive in like that anyhow. It might attract… unwanted attention.

Miroku had tried to ask what kind of unwanted attention Sango had hinted at, but the girl had been pretty reclusive about it. She had managed to wave it off with a shrug and an embarrassed smile _and_ that had troubled Miroku. He'd let it go because a pretty face like Sango's couldn't mean any real harm, but it was still very odd in itself that she was going to all this trouble to be discreet and to then say she wasn't. 

He let out a frustrating sigh and let his gaze linger on the girl who lean heavily on his arm. Black hair brushed the sleeve of his school uniform as Kagome rested her paling face against his arm. Robbed of natural sleep and stricken with fear was draining Kagome of her usual vibrant colour and that nearly made Miroku swear out loud. She was wearing herself thin with grief and worry, if she didn't stop soon she would pass out from exhaustion. 

A low frustrating breath escaped Miroku's lips as he thought about how much he wanted to help Kagome and about how much he felt that he was letting her down somehow. There was just something he knew he should be doing, but he couldn't figure out what it was. The thoughts he so needed eluded him like a whisper of fast blowing air.

He squeezed her shoulder for reassurance and she glanced back with a gentle smile. With her brown eyes she murmured her thanks for his coming and he nodded in the gloomy silence. It might be a wild goose chase for the 'Shikon no Tama,' but he had to keep remembering that he wasn't here for himself, but for Kagome. 

"Careful it goes downhill," Sango warned as she turned abruptly from the well-lit concrete sidewalk and plunged into a bramble of thick foliage ahead and to her right. A mere slip of a girl devoured by night, Sango seemed to just disappear into the darkness of the woods as if she didn't exist. "Just follow the light," she called back as the tell-tale click of her flash light flickered on. The path was virtually unknown unless a person knew exactly where to look for it. 

Inuyasha, sulking and completely sour face as was his usual wont, walked a few feet behind Kagome and Miroku with a nasty glare lodged on them both. His face wore a hard sheen of resentment as his feet kicked angrily over the rough and loosely packed dirt trail he stumbled upon. "I still think this is all stupid."

"Oh hush Inuyasha," came Sango's voice from somewhere up ahead as she beamed the flashlight right on Inuyasha's squinting eyes. "And just move your feet." She ducked through shadowy leaves and branches as if she'd been through this way countless times before. 

"I still can't see why we can't approach it directly." Miroku's voice was low and questioning as he pushed aside some low overhanging branches to allow him and Kagome to pass unhindered. One of the larger branches swung back with a "TWACK" and hit poor Inuyasha upside the head.

"You bastard!" Inuyasha exploded from the darkness behind Miroku. "You did that on purpose!"

"Ah, sorry." Miroku voice was almost quiet, but there was something more to his tone that suggested he was more annoyed than apologetic. It showed in his following words. "But you know, next time I'll make sure to get a "bigger" branch so that when I do do it on purpose… it will hurt more." If there was anything Miroku despised, it was getting accused for things he didn't intentionally do.

"You do and I'll knock you to-"

"Inuyasha!" Sango hissed back between clenched teeth. "Let it go." Although he couldn't see her face from behind the glare of the flashlight she had that teeth grinding tone which she usually saved when she was getting extremely aggravated and flustered over something he'd done. "This isn't the time for it, okay?"

His response had a lot more filthy swearing than actual words in it as he kicked at several nearby trees. 

"I said I was sorry, sheesh." Miroku replied grudgingly as Inuyasha threw the boy, or what looked like a boy since he couldn't see much more than a silhouette, a hard venomous look. With the light of the street lamps behind them as distant little flickers and aside from Sango's small pinprick of 'torch' light, the place was completely overrun with nighttime shadows.

Kagome drew slightly back from Miroku, glancing at Inuyasha's shadowy figure with her mellow brown eyes she whispered softly, "How much further is it?" 

"I don't know. Sango?" Miroku called as he felt the ground give a sudden vertical tilt.

"Keep following, we're almost there." 

Carefully, his right hand around Kagome's shoulder protectively, Miroku followed after Sango as she led down a descending circular path that changed from dirt to gravel. The trees were starting to thin out as a great expanse of open air eventually greeted them when they hit what seemed like bottom. 

It was so black and so frightening empty that Kagome shivered unexpectedly. "Are you sure it is here?"

"Oh... s-shit." The unladylike curse left Sango's mouth as if she'd either stepped on it, or saw it.

Inuyasha stormed ahead, pushing past Miroku and Kagome first, as he growled furiously. "WHAT THE FUCK!?" Being out from among the shadows of the overhanging trees made everyone a little more visible as lighter silhouettes against the dark as Inuyasha threw up his hands wildly. "That's…That's fucking impossible!"

Both Kagome and Miroku lifted up their concerned faces and asked simultaneously, "What's impossible?" 

Sango swallowed and by her movements she seemed extremely agitated. "Someone's in the school already."

"Don't you mean ruins?" Miroku asked with disbelief colouring his voice. He didn't like hearing the agitation in her voice; it sent unwanted shivers through his backside.

From the mound of grass she stood on, Sango shook her head and silently pointed ahead.

Miroku's voice seemed to drain in colour as his violet gaze drifted to where the girl gestured. It was impossible. He'd heard about it and seen footage on the news about how great the fire had been. This… this could not be true. "The news showed it as a mess of stones and rubble… it wasn't like this at all. Are you sure this is the right place?" He was gaping at a beautifully serene structure ahead that had well manicure lawns, a black ornate fence and gate, and gossamer coloured walls. There were lights situated at the base, set up to give the school an almost fairytale look to it. There was no sign at all of any destruction.

Sango and Inuyasha stood on Miroku's left, their eyes just as troubled as Kagome's and Miroku's were, as they gazed at the untouched school. Sango's gaze was hard, her fists, clenching at her sides, as she took a very difficult breath. "It… is." 

Even from here she could see the final wire railing that circled the white domed roof of the school, the many multi-face windows that lined the south wall, and the bridge that lead over to the second half of the school. There had been 3 levels to the school itself: the common floor, the second and third, not counting the roof level and they were all perfectly smoothed and unblemished. The smooth silver walls were like the stone of an ancient castle. The perfected manicured trees and lawns that surrounded the campus and the iron gates which imprisoned all within were so ornate and intricate designed that any and all sign of a fire must have been a mistake. 

"This can't BE YOUR school," Miroku insisted as he stared ahead. "This place is in perfect condition."

"But it is," Sango murmured, her brown eyes staring so hard on the school ahead, as if she sought to destroy it with her searing gaze. "I would know my school anywhere."

Inuyasha was beyond being furious, he was seething with unspent-up rage. "I will kill him." Each word was spoken with outright bleeding hatred. "If he has stolen the Shikon no Tama, I'll make sure he dies painfully… "

Sango was shaking her head slowly. Her voice was clearly upset; she sounded downright dismayed. "He's here, he must have raised it… He must have the Shikon no Tama… oh god, oh god… oh gods…"

"Fucking Naraku…" 

Sango's hand was on Inuyasha's arm almost immediately; the look in her brown eyes thick with warning. "Don't you dare go rushing in…"

"Well, what the hell else are you thinking? Obviously he has his hand on the Shikon no Tama or else the school wouldn't be up like that…" Inuyasha was running his hand through his black hair uneasily as he muttered quietly, "It's not like I'm going to get stuck in that rubble again you know."

Sango was shaking her head firm. The look in her eyes seemed to be mixed in an emotion that was hard to read, "I rather not risk that again Inuyasha. Something's up here, but I don't know what it is…"

Miroku clearly didn't like the way they were talking. They knew more than what they had led on and when either of them were pressed about it they feigned ignorance. Well not now, Miroku had just about enough of this games that used Kagome's desperation against her and he would put down his foot and demand to know exactly what the hell they were talking about and who this Naraku they kept hinting about was. "I think it's about time you… Kagome-sama?" He whirled, turning to where he felt the familiar warmth of Kagome's body disappear and vanish, as he watched with stunned disbelief as Kagome raced down the last of hill they were standing on. "KAGOME-SAMA!" 

"I don't want to waste my time here," Kagome called back, her tone intensely desperate, as she ran towards the black iron bars of the school. "My mother's life is on the line!!"

Miroku's face blanched with the implication of her words and he set off as a run to catch up with the agile girl who was already sliding through the gap between the open iron gates. "Damn it, at least wait for me!"

Inuyasha's brown eyes blinked with surprised; he was caught off guard by Kagome impetuousness. "And _you_ tell me not to run off…" Grumbling angrily he followed after the two, but stopped just before he reached the gate where Miroku just now was ducking through. "Damn it Sango, hurry up." When he didn't receive an answer Inuyasha whirled around with a bit of concern etched in his words, "Sango?! Where the fuck did she go?"

"I'm right here… Inuyasha." She moved slowly, her lips held tight, her gaze almost embarrassed and ashamed. She had a "I'm sorry about this" look on her face as the person who was beside her became visible. 

A man with long black hair tied behind his back and sporting what looked like a long unbelted white lab coat smiled at Inuyasha with a sort of fond recollection. "It's good to see you too, Inuyasha."

"You son of a bitch Naraku! What the hell are you doing with Sango!?" Brown eyes fixed on them both with a measure of alarm and disgust. "Get away from him Sango."

Naraku adjusted the glasses he wore by pushing them back from his face and into his shaggy black hair. He gave a mocking bow of respect as he continued to grin. "Nothing she does not wish. Isn't that right Sango?"

Sango's lips clenched tightly. The look she wore was not a happy one and yet she nodded like a good little soldier. "Yeah." Her eyes looked everywhere, but directly at Inuyasha.

Miroku and Kagome turned from behind the iron fence, staring at the whole exchange with surprise. "Sango?" There was a sort of wariness to Miroku's voice that suggested he may have half-expected something like this.

Sango still had the good grace not to look at any of them as Inuyasha's brown eyes burned on hers. He looked at her as if he could out-burn lead. Naraku fixed his own dark gaze on the two behind the fence as he said pleasantly, "Thank you Sango, Inuyasha… for bringing these two here."

"What?!" The strangled sound of surprise came from Inuyasha. "What the hell are you talking about?!"

There was a startled gasp from Kagome as Miroku's right hand grasped her arm and began to pull her back to the gate. He wasn't about to have Kagome placed in a situation that was suddenly getting out of hand. The way that man looked at him and Kagome, as if they were something to be used, made the pit of his stomach crawl. 

"Not so fast Miroku," Naraku replied in a tone of an injured host. "I haven't even started with you and Kagome yet." 

The use of their names brought wide eyed looks from Kagome and Miroku as the young man laid hard violet eyes on Naraku, "You will not hold us here against our will."

Without so much as moving a finger Naraku watched the iron bound gate turned in on its self to slam shut with a lurch. There was some sort of clicking sound as if the gate was now locked in place. "I must insist otherwise. Afterall, I'm not about to waste Sango's efforts to bring you here…delayed as it was."

"I couldn't help it Naraku…" And Sango's outright compliance to Naraku's words made Inuyasha's face cringe. He couldn't believe his trusted friend was siding with Naraku. The very bastard who'd originally caused the school to burn down. "They were in the hospital a long time after Kagura drove the car into Kagome-chan's mother. I…I had to befriend them in that small amount of time... didn't I?" There was an undertone to her words as if she were ashamed to say what she had just admitted out-loud.

Inuyasha face was a mask of horror and shock. "How could you Sango?"

Kagome's face had gone deathly white as she heard this exchange and Miroku, as he stood behind the bars, stared at the girl with wide-eyed shocked. He should have known better. He had felt something was wrong, but he had let things carry on until they escalated into this. Damn it, he should have known.

Naraku's face became more visible as he started towards the fence, the lights that were illuminating the school also shone on the surrounding gate. He was grinning at the two behind the fence as if they were lab mice set before the illustrious maze test. "You wanted the Shikon no Tama… it is still in side the school."

"You…" Miroku's fingers rattled the bars of the gate with the mean look of someone who was about to climb over and beat the hell out of the man who threaten him and Kagome. "I will do nothing fo-" His words stopped so abruptly as a loud crashing gunshot ricocheted through the quiet and rebounded off the metal gate. Both Inuyasha and Sango glanced up into the air, but there was no visible sign of the sniper. Who ever it was, was hiding well.

"Miroku!!!" Kagome's voice was full of panic as the second gunshot produced a light spray from the side of his face. 

With wide violet eyes, Miroku's fingers slowly raised to his cheek. Blood. He'd been shot at!? And it wasn't just once, it was two times now. Numbly he reached a protective arm to protect Kagome as Naraku spoke dispassionately, "Well, you two can just stay here and get blasted by Kagura… or you can go inside…you do wish to save Ms. Higurashi, don't you?"

Miroku glared at Naraku, as his hand gripped Kagome. They'd, for some bizarre reason, had fallen into a trap of which this, as Inuyasha would say, BASTARD wanted to use them for. Like it or not, he didn't see much of a choice at the moment because with Kagome huddled at his side, he couldn't risk her getting shot at too. He had to think of Kagome since she was clearly not thinking for herself. Grabbing her hand more tightly, he cast one last look at Inuyasha and Sango, the girl's brown eyes looking at him with a film of regret, before he turned and ran towards the school. The doors, as he expected, were open for them as golden lights suddenly turning on inside.

"Sango, how could you side with him he broke the promise to us. How…?" Inuyasha's words were laced with horror and disgust as he watched Kagome and Miroku disappear into the school. 

"Can you blame poor Sang? Any more than you can blame Kikyou?" Naraku was grinning as he watched the look of hatred flittered through Inuyasha's face at the mention of the girl's name. "Although, Sango needed a little bit more persuasion. She's only thinking of poor Kohaku… isn't that right?"

Sango's gaze drifted to the gravel floor as her lips tighten against her mouth.

For one of the first times Inuyasha paled at the implications. "You bastard… you're the one who took him?!"

Naraku mocked a humble bow for him. "Of course. You know I take everyone away… alive or dead they all come back to me."

There was a low snarl issuing out of his frowning mouth, but Inuyasha surprisingly made no other sudden movements. He had not forgotten about the gunshots and he was not about to give Kagura the opportunity to kill him if he made foolish lunge at Naraku. "What the hell do you want from that girl and boy?"

Naraku smiled knowingly, "One of them will unlock the Shikon no Tama for me..."

End this part.


	5. Part 5

Written on July 11, 2003 and Edited September 18, 2003

(Author's Note: I know it's been more than a year since I updated this fic, but I tend to have so many things going on that I sometimes lose track of time. To anyone who really liked this story, I'm sorry I'm so slow, here's the next part.)

Those that Follow the Jewel

By Yashira

Part 5

With a vibrating hum that shot through Miroku's nerves with a note of finality, he felt, rather than saw, the school doors slam to a close behind them. Fenced in, they were trapped like lab rats with no way out. That thought nearly sent a spasmodic cough rankling through his system as he remembered the Shikon no Tama – that precious bit of cheese- that would be their reward should they live long enough to reach their target. _Damn you Naraku, whatever this sick game you play with innocents… you won't… I won't let you win._

Kagome who had been stumbling down the inner stairways after him, bumped into Miroku's arm with a soft, mewling whisper which bordered on faintheartedness. "He's locked us in… we're trapped, Miroku." With each passing word she spoke, a rising hysteria danced immediately after. Kagome was frightened, badly.

"Don't panic, Kagome-sama. I'm here with you, remember, and I won't let anyone hurt you." Smooth and harmonious like a pleasant morning breeze, Miroku's voice seem to elicit a small nervous smile from Kagome. If Kagome lost it now, he wasn't sure when or how he'd be able to bring her back to herself. He also wasn't sure he couldn't stop himself from breaking into delirious madness either. Better to deal with her first, his own ragged feelings could be dealt with later. "That's it, just smile the fear away. You'll laugh about this someday." _Hopefully._

"I wish that were true. I don't know what to do now." Her soft fingers dug into the shoulder of his school uniform as if she sought security solely within that black fabric. "Now that I know it's all a lie, I-"

"It's not all a lie, though." He said this quietly, his voice intimately gentle towards this girl he had spent most of his life growing up with. "The Shikon no Tama is in this school and that Naraku, who Inuyasha hates, wanted us to find it." For some reason, now more than ever, Miroku was overcome with the urge to run his fingers through Kagome's mess of dark tangled hair as if that would not only sooth her racing heart, but might install some calmness to his rapidly beating one as well. Swallowing deeply, he allowed his hand to rest reassuringly along the inside curve of her arm. "I just wish I knew what was going on. Everything that's happened has been some elaborate trick he set up. He deliberately got Sango to befriend us so that when his people hurt your mother…" Pain trickled through Kagome's brown eyes at the mention of her mother, and Miroku nearly kicked himself for blurting things out like that. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"It's okay. I know you didn't," and although the words left her mouth between nervous, fitful swallows, she didn't hold it against him. It was then that the school's electric lights decided to frizzle angrily to life above their heads. Oddly enough, or perhaps not so odd given the reason they were there, those frayed, flickering lights seemed to lead a serpentine trail towards their untimely goal. While the yellow-white lights now illuminated the ivory coloured walls and blue tiled floor with sort of ghostly haze, it made both Kagome and Miroku take a nervous step backwards. "Miroku. It feels like we're being watched."

"I know Kagome-sama. I think this is _their_ cue for us to start moving." There were a few choice swear words he wished to include with that sentence, but he wisely kept them to himself. Even if Kagome knew what "Fucking bastard who is the son of a blistering asshole" was, he didn't need to taint her precious ears with it.

"Why is he torturing us? He knows where it is. Why is he doing this to us?" Leech-like, Kagome had latched onto his arm, and showed no sign of ever letting go. "If he wanted it so badly, he could just go and get it himself."

"I don't know, Kagome-sama. Maybe he gets his kicks out of this. Maybe he has the Shikon no Tama and just wants to mess with our minds." That particular notion did not sit well with Miroku because that meant they had no hope to start with. Better to assume the Shikon no Tama was in the school and to work with a little hope, than nothing at all. "What I wouldn't give to wring my hands around Inuyasha's and Sango's necks and get some answers." Even if Inuyasha had seemed surprised by what Sango had done, that didn't excuse the fact that he was outside and not in here with them. Basically, when it came down to it, Miroku couldn't trust either of them. 

"But if he's playing with us, then it really is hopeless." There it was again, that glimmer of hysteria breaking into the edges of her voice and Miroku squeezed her arm with the hopes to still that threat.

"If you really think that's it, then we will just sit here, Kagome." He knew he should probably continue using the "sama" suffix, but she had already dropped the "kun," long ago. Perhaps, it was time to just leave the pretenses behind him. "Kagome, I-

"I don't think you should be wasting time, sitting there," the voice which whined, through the metallic buzz of the P.A. system, sounded child-like and much too young to be involved in something so terrifying as this. It had Kagome and Miroku searching each other's face for answers they knew they could not find.

"In about 2 minutes, we're opening the doors to the classrooms. If you want to stay where the "students" will have a much easier time finding you, that's your call. You've been warned." With a wretched screech, the P.A. system switched off with a groan.

"Miroku, you don't think-"

"Don't say anything Kagome, just run," and grabbing hold of her arm, his fingers digging in tightly, he immediately broke into a run.

* * * 

"I imagine that they're moving about now. My _daughter_ has probably told them about all they need to know about **NOT** standing still." Naraku was grinning like the madman they all knew him to be and his smile was so smug and prideful that it made Inuyasha want to tear off the Naraku's lips and set fire to them.

The only thing that kept him from doing so was the miserable and wretched look on Sango's face plus the obvious fact that Kagura was still out there with a gun trained on his very movement. If he took so much as a step in Naraku's direction, it would be his last. "You think they'll just hand it over to you? After what you pulled? If they were smart, they'd run away. I know I would." 

"Oh really? I beg to differ on that point." Naraku tossed back his head, black shaggy strands of hair blowing behind him in the night wind, as he lifted his fingers thoughtfully to his chin. Trying, as if to emulate some great thinker, he flicked amused eyes over his two fellow companions. "I'm sure Kagome and Miroku will find it in their hearts to hand the unlocked Shikon no Tama to me. Afterall, you and Kikyou were able to reach the-"

Inuyasha's brown eyes gave an ugly twitch at the mention of Kikyou's name leaving Naraku's vile lips. "I don't want to fucking hear about Kikyou. She used me to get to the Shikon no Tama and then she just GAVE it over to you as if YOU were more important!"

"Ah yes, I remember that with such fondness. It was nearly the same trap too, wasn't it? Except I didn't have to hold _someone_ over Kikyou's head as I had to do for Sango. Tsk, tsk." The sort of smile he wore when he said that would have shamed a fox or weasel 10 times over. He didn't bother looking at Sango, she was already whipped and no longer amusing. No, the entertainment remained with Inuyasha; that boy always took everything so seriously. He was a particular delight to torture. "She willing helped me, but now it's so hard to find good help. Am I losing my touch?" He even slid his eyes in that easily self-amused manner of his, to watch Inuyasha's reaction with hungry anticipation. 

"You bastard. If you didn't have Kagura ready to shoot me, I'd give you the "same trap" right in your face!" Hands tightening furiously to his sides so that his nails sunk deep within the unprotectively flesh of his palms, Inuyasha's voice took on an ugly, blistering tint. He was so close to exploding, so desperately close to just lashing out. "This has nothing to do with unlocking the Shikon no Tama. You just want to curse them as you did to me."

Naraku didn't answer right away, but instead let Inuyasha stew in that emotional pool of anger as if he had every intention of remaining silent. When he did speak, the words came out malicious and cold –it was as if his words carried themselves from a long distance because once spoken they slammed heavily down upon the boy's ears. "Yeah. Isn't that the beauty of it?" 

* * * 

"Where would that Shikon no Tama be?" Miroku muttered between ragged breaths as he jogged down one of the hallways making sure to keep Kagome blanketed protectively behind him. In truth, he didn't even know if he'd recognize the Shikon no Tama if they found it, but he had to cross that burning bridge when he got to it. Staying alive and keeping Kagome safe was the only goal now. "We're running out of time!" 

"35 seconds, 34 seconds, 33…." The girl's voice behind the P.A. had switched back on with what appeared to be a countdown reminder, and it annoyed Miroku to no end. He knew they had a limited time left, being reminded only made things aggravating worse and lead to mistakes being made because he was rushed. 

"I don't want to be in this hall when the doors open!" 

"I don't either, but-" Kagome, her hand firmly wedged into the folds of Miroku's arm, made the mistake of looking back along the row of classroom doors they had left behind. Something dark and silhouetted had moved behind one of the doors and that brought a whimpering gasp of dismay to her throat. "Miroku!"

"Shh, Kagome. I'm with you." His hand reached down to enveloped hers again and he offered her a smile he'd wished was genuine - and could use on himself - because he was just as scared as she was. "There! I see a stairway, we'll go up. There has to be a roof and maybe we'll find a fire escape heading down." 

"What if-" But her words were cut drastically short as a flood of sharp, slamming noises, as if a thousand doors had opened at once, had vibrated throughout the building. Kagome did not look back this time. She didn't have to. Time was up and the classroom doors were all open. 

"Kagome, up here, this way!! " Miroku's breath burned in his throat and his legs strained as he jerked opened the door to the stairway and shoved her up ahead of him. Glancing around quickly into the half shadowed stairwell, he could find nothing in which to brace the wretched door with. If someone came after them now, they would be trapped from above and below. Suddenly, this didn't seem like such a good idea anymore.

"Miroku!" Kagome's scream ruptured the air like an agonized peal of thunder, as she jabbed a finger desperately ahead of her. 

There on the landing above, stood a student. No, _not_ a student. It couldn't possibly since no student – no human being – had a golden-bronze tail that flickered back and forth warily, along with glowing blue eyes that stared back nearly catlike at them. Even the clothing, more like half pieces of armor and furs than real _normal _clothes, was like nothing either of them had ever seen before. "Well, well, well. Seems I found you first. The name's Kouga if you must know." With an idle flicker of his hand rippling through his black pony-tail, the new comer spoke with nearly a bemused, if seemingly bored, voice. "The Shikon no Tama isn't good for either of you two, but if you're going to go looking for it, I'm afraid you're just going to be in my way."

"This fellow doesn't leave much room for interruption," Miroku muttered in a low voice to Kagome as she let out another cry of warning. Kouga, in a fit of inhuman speed, had leapt forward and was now bolting down the stairs at two steps a pace. With his golden-bronze tail spinning wildly behind him and quick feet making short work of the distance between them, he aimed himself directly at Miroku.

"Kagome, look out!" He regretting having to shove her hard against the far wall of the stairwell for he could feel his fingers sink into the softness of her arms and knew how easy it was to bruise that tender flesh, but he could not allow Kouga to rake his claws over her either. "RUN, damn it! Kagome! Go!"

Slamming down between them, for Miroku had barely managed to sidestep the violent assault of this new threat, Kouga whirled around instantly with a snicker pouring forth from his open, fang revealing, mouth. "Splitting up? The order doesn't matter to me, since you're both just _human_ meat."

"Miroku!" Kagome's fingers were latched on the railing going up, gripping it more for support than for anything else, as she trembled on the first wings of hysterical fright. Her body felt as if she were a sack of misshapen lead for this horrible nightmare that swept suffocating fingers over her numbing body refused to allow her to move. Undeniably, she felt rooted to the spot like the 1000 year old tree in front of the temple she lived in. This just couldn't be happening! It just couldn't!

And then, as if to add another decree of hopelessness, the door swung open with a resounding bang. With eyes like the rich silkiness of chocolate, hair as dark as the dead of night, and skin the colour of the creamiest of milk, the woman who entered looked exactly like Kagome. Except this Kagome-look alike held a readied long bow in her arms and the target she fixed her arrow on was Kagome.

* * * 

"Oh, how could I forget," Naraku made to slap his forehead as if he had just forgotten the darnest thing. "You'll find this funny. I mean, I can't stop laughing, but-"

"GET on with it!" Inuyasha had not once stopped scowling during this whole, miserable ordeal and his face was a constant crisscrossing path of frowning hatred and disgust. If he could just get one swipe in, if he could just sink his nails into Naraku's throat before Kagura fired her gun at him, then it would all be worth dying for. Forget the fact that he would be dead, at least he would have done something important with his life. One less asshole in the world, wouldn't that be better? "I swear you drag this out because it's THAT that you find funny."

Rolling his eyes at Inuyasha as if suggesting he should really have more forbearance, Naraku tried to stifle a bored yawn. "You must have patience, Inuyasha. I mean, how am I to tell you that I just remembered I ordered Kikyou to shoot anyone who tries to use the stairs to get to the roof."

"WHAT?!" Within the confines of his throat, he could feel his heart swelling uncontrollably. Not only did he suggest that Kikyou was here, but she was going to kill Kagome and Miroku on a whim because Naraku asked her to?! Again his insides trembled and Inuyasha could feel the unbidden energy within him vibrate. No, he wouldn't let it happen now… he wouldn't allow that change which had so cursed him the last time, to take him over. Naraku had to be lying. He just had to.

"Oh, didn't I tell you? She's inside the school. I told her to guard against intruders and I'm very sure she'll assume Kagome and Miroku are intruders…" Sticking his hands within the recesses of his lab coat, Naraku rocked eagerly on the balls of his heels. "Afterall, why bother getting the school up in mint condition if I don't take precautions to defend against any would be trespassers. Even **if** I willingly plant them in the school."

"You're just a sick asshole."

"Why, thank you, and just to make that compliment worth it, I'd like to point out that I did have the Shikon no Tama in my very hands at one point. But not now." Pulling his fingers free of the lab coat and flexing his empty palms out so that they both could see how empty they were, Naraku added dryly, "It's no fun if there's no real risk involved so I left it there." Noticing that fuming looks that traced over Inuyasha's face and the heavy sweat lining his brow, he could tell that his taunts were making were hitting their marks. It was always fun to insult him for he so seldom failed to take the offered bait. "If you want to take a peek, I'm not going to stop you." This time Naraku spared his usual smug face with an ugly sneer that bespoke of further tortures he would have liked to continue inflicting on those present. "Aside from Kouga running free, Sango's brother, Kohaku is there too."

End of this Part.


	6. Part 6

January 2008 - July 2009

Those that Follow the Jewel

(Author's Note: I've been working on this for the past year. On and off again when I've had time. I've always envisioned what happened to Miroku as the last part to this tale, though technically it would only be the beginning of a story for him. It's strange, but of all my stories I think I like this AU best as it gave me the time to explore my own style of writing and mingling it with characters not my own.)

By Yashira (Also Illusionary Ghost)

Part 6

In a lazy motion, like wet taffy being slowly drawn apart in this contest of tug of war, Miroku watched in sickening fascination as the arrow spiralled its way towards Kagome. The girl was ghostly white, her face clenched in agonized fear as she stared down the incoming missile. A deer in headlights. "Move, Kagome!" He shouted, his voice coming out thick and unfamiliar so that he no longer recognized it. "No! Kagome!"

He felt the sickening crunch of muscle and bone connecting with that arrow even though he was unmarred by its passage. A spill of blood bloomed on Kagome's shoulder, puckering the white fabric with it's unsightly crimson sash. "Miroku," she murmured weakly, her legs caving under her ungainly weight and sending her crashing to the floor. The glare of school lights in the stairway flickered and went out before flashing twice to come back on as if some distant generator had kicked in. The Kagome lookalike was unmoved. Her face betrayed no sign of mercy or regret. It was a hard, ruthless face that greeted them as she reached easily for another arrow. How could anyone be so... heartless.

"No! No, you won't. You'll have to go through me." Miroku found himself in front of Kagome, his body a ready meat shield against the insane woman with the arrows. Already he could hear the intake as she set arrow to string. Did she not care that they were living breathing people? Gulping as she took aim - right at him - Miroku felt his heart stalling. He didn't want to die in this dingy old school that stank of old disinfectants and grime. The two were an odd blend in their opposites - what an odd thing to notice at a time like this. It was almost as if he was outside himself taking stock of the most mundane of things with casual disinterest. "Fine, shoot at me. Maybe I'll wake up and this will be some damn dream. Just do it, waking up anywhere else has to be better than this!!!" Oh man, he was delirious, he could hear the high pitch of hysterics colour his every word. Why should he care now? He was going to die and so was Kagome. ... Kagome. He had never told her how much he-

Kouga hit him from behind. Railed his nails, digging deep, to tear through the fabric to the flesh hidden beneath, the blood left Miroku in ribbons. "I don't like being ignored," grated the thick to Miroku's ears as the unwelcome weight shoved him face first into the floor. How could he have forgotten about Kouga? Too many things - too much at once - his senses were in overload. Despair crashed its terrible waves over Miroku's head, making him sinking so deep that it felt like a hole had opened to swallow him up. He wanted to scream, to run away from the sucking feeling that everything about him was falling in on itself, but that hard-edge of control that followed him everywhere, even now, won out in the end. Smothered unable to move, Miroku waited for certain death. "It's my turn to play with them! They're mine!"

"If you want to die with them," the Kagome-clone began effortlessly, her voice just as lifeless as her gaze, "Then who am I to stop you. Die." If Kouga had been human, he would have been dead when she fired that arrow. No man or woman could move that fast and be unwinded and unhurt. No one.

Laughing arrogantly, he tossed his head back and scratched the ground with one of his feet. "You're getting sloppy Kikyou." Kouga's taunt twisted his lips into an ugly sneer as his bushy eyebrows narrowed in contempt. "How the mighty have indeed fallen. Do you miss the dog-turd? Is that why your aim is so bad?"

Emotion marred that dead-empty face and Miroku found himself swallowing hard. The anger in that woman was like the subtle budge of Mount St. Helen in its early stages. It would brim and boil within, growing to distorted proportions before bursting. He didn't want to be around when the cork to that emotion blew. Another arrow shot forth, the speed incredible for human fingers, but once more Kouga dodged it! Was Kikyou human... or was she like this guy - a shadow of humanity, but engrossed in the limelight of monstrosity. And what was Miroku doing, wasting time?! Now was the time to get away with Kagome, while they were fighting each other!

...Kagome!

A wilted flower in a pool of blood, her face flopped down, fingers unclenched, Miroku assumed the worse. "Oh my god, no... Kagome."

"Light... so bright... it pulls." Her voice was so faint, Miroku thought he was imagining it, but it caught the clone's attention too - the one Kouga called Kikyou. Already an arrow was pulled and notched, how did she move that fast?! "..But she fights its call... tainting it even more... It cries as she corrupts it... it's weeping...."

Kikyou's voice was deadly simple. "Die."

The building rocked on its foundation sending Miroku falling hard onto his knees. An earthquake? Now of all times? A foul curse escaped him as he choked on the falling dust which littered the air like some unnatural fog. What in the hell-? Could this day get any worse? The wall exploding at the far end, showering a mass of stone and plaster at him, was his quick answer. Someone up there really didn't like him and for a brief terrifying moment, he thought God had come in through the opening because a shape had began to resolve itself within the stray rays of moonlight filtering in from outside. Calm down, it's not God. It's...

That strange eared boy from before? No, it couldn't be! This was impossible! This guy looked... different. Hair bleached white and pointy dog ears stood out among the brilliant red haori he wore and golden, angry eyes gleamed in the fading light. Had the world gone mad? Was everyone a hideous monster?

"So, I'm not too late. Good."

This was...Inuyasha? Furious to the point of violence were barely words Miroku could use to describe the fuming expression on the boy's face as he held, what looked to be an impossibly huge sword swung over his right shoulder. Miroku had played Final Fantasy 7 once at a friend's house so he knew a huge sword like this should have been impossible to carry in real life, and yet Inuyasha held it as if it were a child's toy. "What... what is going on?" Miroku managed to cough through the smog of debris floating around. Surprisingly his voice came out deceptively soft. "Did you come to finish the job?"

"Inuyasha?" Kikyou's face had taken on some colour. She looked shattered a moment, her cheeks reddening to something dreadful, before recovering enough to recap her next arrow at him. Even Kouga had pulled himself together and was glaring at Inuyasha with contempt.

"So the dog has come sniffing has he?" Kouga's voice echoed beyond Miroku, rebounding through the walls with disgust as he scratched again at the floor with one of his padded feet. Were those claws instead of toes?

"This has nothing to do with you or Kikyou," and though his voice was gruff and angry, there was so much more in it. Emotion warring with duty, love filling up with hatred and... "Get out of here before I kill you... kill both of you!" Fangs were revealed in that snarl, but at this point Miroku didn't think there was much more that would surprise him. The dealer's hand had been tipped - the deck of cards played out.

"Inuyasha, you're not still upset by the whole Shikon no Tama incident, are you?" Miroku found that the more the woman known as Kikyou spoke, the more he disliked her. There was something too cold, too impersonal about the way she spoke. It was as if she were addressing a thing rather than a hot blooded human being. Even her aloof eyes made him feel he was staring at someone who thought herself so superior that anyone else was barely even a spec of dirt. "Lets forgot about all this... I'm sure you just want to come over to me and-"

"Don't address me by my name. You are a traitor! I want nothing to do with you." But Inuyasha's stance was too defensive, his tone too abrupt to be anything but a cover. Obviously, he'd been wounded with something that went far beyond the physical and it had not begun to remotely heal. Even Miroku could see this and in a way if their meeting had been different, if the world hadn't turn itself upside down on its trip to insanity, he might have thought that Inuyasha and himself had been cut from the same stone.

"Poor Inuyasha. You suffered the most. Alone, torn away from the light, but always seeking...lost, but you were never alone."

Miroku felt ice at the words, but he dared not look at Kagome. Why was she suddenly so full of pity for him? For HIM?! And at a time like this when she should be more concerned about her own life and the lives of those around her... like him. Did she not realize just how much Miroku was losing to be here with her?

But Inuyasha was listening to her. He turned his golden eyes towards Kagome with a hardly concealed glance and what Miroku saw made his nerves go numb. Though it was clear Inuyasha had once had a tight relationship with Kikyou by the way his reactions could so easily be provoked by her... he also felt something to Kagome. _His_ Kagome. Why? They'd only just met! And in that brief meeting he had betrayed her... betrayed the both of them.

"I always thought," but he caught himself abruptly as if to gird himself against saying too much. In a world surrounded by enemies, he would be a fool to reveal a weakness that could decimate him. Turning his yellowed gaze towards Kikyou, he tossed his head back defiantly as if willing the moment into non-existence. It was clear to Miroku that Inuyasha meant to protect Kagome - his Kagome! "So you attack her? To get to me? I didn't know you were jealous, Kikyou." Inuyasha was scoffing now as he watched Kikyou's face darkened. He'd hit a mark apparently.

Kagome's delirium continued to grow and for the first time Miroku wondered just how deep that arrow had gone. "There's such a brightness... it spins, it calls... can't you see it. So bright and your hatred clouds it... you're smothering it...tainting it."

"We have to get her to a doctor." Miroku knew he had to see a doctor as well, the gouges, though not deep, still ached. Who knew what else could be wrong though, given that this wolf-like boy seemed human, but moved and leapt about as if he were something more. For all Miroku knew, this guy could have rabies. "She's hallucinating, she could be dying." Could be? With all that blood loss, she could simply be a single step away from death's door.

"She senses the Shikon no Tama," Kikyou's voice came out flat and lifeless as the arrow she held to bow had changed directions in one fluent motion as if it was water bending to the least resistance. "It calls and she wants to answer it, but she won't live to answer it. I won't let her."

"You will not kill her." Miroku's voice was hard, his body straightening from the protective crouch he had taken in front of Kagome. When had he moved to stand in front of her after Kouga had knocked him down? He could not remember. "I won't let you."

"Don't really have a choice, do you? No one, NOT even you will set their paws on the Shikon no Tama." It was Kouga who spoke as he flexed his hands - fingers still bloody with Miroku's life blood. Once again he sprang at Miroku who braced for the impact, knowing that he could never out run this boy. Great, not this again. Death by arrow or death by disembowelment - what a way to go.

"Kaze no Kizu!" Inuyasha? Harsh and furious, the voice shook the air with a blast of energy that was somehow both cold and hot. Kouga, more out of some inward sense of self-preservation, leapt out of the way to safety, but Miroku felt nothing more than that odd sensation as it washed over him.

"Shit, you bastard!" Feet spread apart, claws extended for the kill, Kouga's golden brown tail shook with a nervous swish before it visibly bristled. He was sweating profusely and attempting to wipe his brow with the back of his wrist guard as if to hide it. "If you didn't have that sword you wouldn't be so hot. Try fighting without it for once." Was that jealousy or hatred - probably both.

Kikyou words were an accusation and the scowl it received from Inuyasha almost had her smiling. Almost. "That'll be a fool's game. It would be like asking me to give up my bow, or for you to give up your agility. All this was a gift of the Tama... a blessing."

"It's a curse." Dropping in through the hole he had created, the dust and debris now settled enough to reveal the moon filled sky, Inuyasha's figure stood finely highlighted. The silver-white hair hung down his back like gossamer silk and his golden slitted eyes - once a deep nut brown - shone through the school's dingy light brighter cat eyes. Miroku had noticed all these subtle changes earlier, but somehow it all looked more intense... more emphasised. To notice such things, he must be going crazy. "All this is a curse. I never asked for any of it, but that doesn't mean I won't use it to stop you. That's something you shouldn't go forgetting."

"A bright warm light... Shikon no Tama," Kagome's soft murmur pooled around Miroku's ears, pulling at his senses acting in turn like a sharp scream to bring back awareness of her presence to the others. This was beyond delusional - could the Shikon no Tama they kept going on about really be responsible for this madness?

"Kagome," he began softly, but Inuyasha had already come in between them, his eyes seeming to soften only for her. The look left Miroku feeling sick.

"It's called to her... Even from here, it's touched is upon her..." Without warning, Inuyasha's hand came down hard on Kagome's arm, but was met with a spark of brilliant white electricity which crackled as if in handshake. Loud, explosively, it blew Inuyasha back several steps. "Miko." He glanced over to the watching eyes of Kouga and Miroku as well as to the impassive, stony gaze of Kikyou and barked a cruel laugh. "She's met the transformation and accepted it. Oh Kikyou, she's going to be more powerful than you ever were."

"What are you talking about?" Miroku had seen the light, saw the brightness of its purity blow up around Kagome like a balloon... protecting her from Inuyasha. Would it do the same to Kouga and Kikyou? And more importantly, would it hurt him too?

"The Shikon no Tama has claimed her? " Kikyou's voice lashed out in return. Her laughter was harsh. "That's a laugh. I came first. I am the eldest! The power is mine."

"So that's why you wanted to get rid of her so quickly. Did you know this would happen?" Kouga's eyes lit in such sudden self- revelation that Miroku had the most disturbing sensation. If things weren't already complicated enough, things were about to cartwheel to a whole new level. "Those marked by the Shikon no Tama are even more powerful then those who try claim it." All eyes turned in one motion to that wilted pile that was Kagome, but Kouga was already moving - a quick pounce that should have landed him right into Kagome's lap. "I'll make her mine!"

What surprised Miroku most was not his inability to move his own sluggish legs, but the fact that Inuyasha did not bothered to intercept Kouga. For all his bravado about protecting Kagome, he had stood resolutely still, his golden eyes merely expressionless - watchful. It did make some sort of sick sense when he watched Kouga get fried, nearly swallowed by what Miroku could only guess, was a 1000 volt jolt of pure white electricity though. Inuyasha had a good memory.

Head bowed with bangs covering his eyes, a low rumbling chuckle broke from Inuyasha. Slow at first, but it rose so fast that he'd thrown his head and begun cackling as if he were insane. "You thought you were gonna have access to the Shikon no Tama through her? You really are an idiot! Ha ha ha! No miko can be controlled. You should know that by now." They didn't even have to look at Kikyou to see the usually ashen face, so bereft of emotion, nod in agreement.

And then, out of nowhere, Kagome spoke. Her voice which had been distracted and dazed earlier, indicating that she was not all there, was plaintiff and weak - a head bobbing above the turbulent waters seeking a life line before being pulled sharply back under. "Inuyasha? Please.... please help me."

There was no heartbeat, no intake of breath as time stood still for Miroku. Kagome hadn't asked for him, hadn't even acknowledged that he was there. She'd ask directly for Inuyasha. Why?! Why did she do that? He'd been with her forever, faithful and loyal like a watch hound, Miroku had even been ready to die with and for her. So why was his world turning black and white in front of him. He opened his mouth to speak as if calling her name might be the only power to wake her from this nightmare, but the words were gone - stolen. _Kagome, have you turned your back on me?_

"You're the only one who can protect me." The sea of madness that had drowned her was eddying to a stand still, giving her a chance to break the surface once more to make a purchase towards the shore of sanity. So very soft, Kagome's voice was plaintive and weak. "The only one. Please help me."

Condemning, backstabbing words! They shot through Miroku like flashes of lightning, his face paling at their implications, but he was not the only one who stared with wide-eyed disbelief. The same face was rivetted nearly mirror like on Inuyasha. And yet Inuyasha offered a hand, almost tentatively as if expecting a blast of white hot electricity. It was falling apart, all of it. Miroku tried to run the situation in his head in different ways, to rationalize this upside down topsy-turvey turmoil which had collapsed the world he had once known. Kagome, who had been an entwined stem to his spreading branches, had been shorn free. He could see her and even reach out and touch her, but that's where it all ended. Her thoughts and feelings, that special essence that filled her mind and actions, held a wall so high and thick, he could not penetrate. Why had she shut him out?

Kikyou and Kouga were still there, dangerous figures, but shadows to him now. Miroku didn't care about them and he certainly wouldn't have cared if one of them had turned around and put an arrow or claw through his heart. He wouldn't have felt it anymore because his heart was a painful, bloody thing beating on the floor. Gone. Blessing or curse, what did it matter since Kagome was picking some stranger over him. She might as well have dug her own pale fingers into his chest. It all felt the same.

Falling, falling, falling... he felt the void descend and suck him down into the bleating depths of despair and beyond. So... very .... so very alone.

A rustle of wind circled his feet, clinging unnaturally around his pants as they made strange grooves up his shirt and down his left arm. This existence was flawed. What did it matter that the wind too had turned into something contrary? Vaguely, Miroku heard the voices, recognizing belatedly Kagome's cry of pain as Inuyasha pulled the arrow from her body to fling it, without even a parting glance at Kikyou, to the floor. What did any of this matter? The cold, heartless face of Kikyou, the over energetic and self-absorbed Kouga, the world-bearing -on-his shoulders Inuyasha.... all just fancy painted faces on this stage. What did any of them care of the pain he had been put through. They'd go on with their lives never giving a damn, never...

He hunched over, pain spasming hard in his left hand. Gah! What was going on? Depressing voices crooned at him with more thoughts of how miserable his existence had been, and he felt the first true stirring of fear tear into him. Kagome had been marked by the Shikon no Tama, and he'd assumed he'd just been looked over. _Why would I think I wasn't of any less importance_, he realized, feeling for the first time that his presence here had also been calculated for.

"Gaaaah!" Air was swirling up and around him, tugging at his clothing and black hair as if they were hands of mischievous sprites gone wild. This pain... this horribly unimaginable pain was something else.

"Miroku?" It was Kagome who spoke, though he was sure the others were staring by now, gaping or watching passively as the Shikon no Tama did to him what it had only done to Kagome moments before. Absently he noted that no one thought of killing him or putting him out of his misery. That was either a small consolation or a very big insult. "Are you alright?" Even within his own terrible agony, his dark eyes narrowed accusingly on her as if to slap her meek, left over concern away. She'd made her choice. He didn't need her sympathy or her pity now that she had Inuyasha.

"This was his... this was his goal?" Inuyasha's stunned expression galled Miroku. He wanted to knock that self-knowing air right out of him. He was sick and tired of everyone being one step ahead of him. Anger, resentment, pain.... desolation, loneliness, betrayal...cast off, left behind... each and every emotion radiated such an intense burning flame within Miroku that when he looked up directly at Inuyasha - when their eyes, black to gold, met - there was a visible spark of energy. _I hate you._ And for one brief, hideous moment, Miroku smirked. Cold, emotionless - it had stepped free from his wall of control and stood there - his freed demon - like a terrible scar.

Then abruptly, as if the world had simply stood still for that second, there was an explosion of sound and everything came rushing down at them. "No! Get away from him!" Inuyasha was already carrying Kagome when he dashed for the hole in the school wall. White hair flying behind him, golden eyes flickering back at Miroku There was no pity in those eyes, pity would have been useless. "He's going Kaza Ana any second now!"

_I'm gonna do what?_ But Miroku knew it when it happened. His hand tore in on itself and he felt the hole devour his palm before he saw the pitch blackness of this new reality. It was there a moment, black as night and as hungry as the black holes he'd read about in science class, and then his vision blurred, blocked by the hard stone and steel rupturing in front of him - coming right for him! Hand out protectively, knowing it would do nothing to save him from being slapped in the face by the careening wall of stone, Miroku waited for death.

And again death seemed to elude him. With absolute amazement he watched the wall crumble in on itself, imploding like a collapsing sun shrinking to its death. It didn't matter what it was, but stone, plaster and mortar became rubble and then dust which was hungrily swallowed up by the black hole in his left hand. "What the hell is going on?" Heat seared his face as a gale of air roared in his ears, but he could do barely more than gape at the impossibility. The Shikon no Tama had done this to him. Changed. Different. He was not the same man from before - would never be that same man.

Absently, almost peripheral at the edge of sight and sound, he could have sworn he saw Naraku's deadly smile and heard his ghostly laughter echo in the wind. Impossible. They'd left him at the gate, the same gate they'd been forced through by gunshot by one of Naraku's lackeys. _They... Kagome._ Don't think on her, don't dwell on that stab of betrayal because it made it worse. He could feel the skin on his palm pull so hard that the pang of it stung tears from his eyes. Whatever was happening hinged on every dark emotion that Kagome and Naraku had wrung from him... and he couldn't let it consume him. It wasn't her fault, how could he blame her for choosing Inuyasha when he hadn't even announced his own feelings to her, but even acknowledging this was skirting on the edge of disaster. How he knew it would mean instant death, Miroku did not know save that it had to do something with Shikon no Tama.

That damn, fucking Shikon on Tama!

He hadn't wanted any of this! Just one simple life, going to school with a girl he had grown up with and fallen in love with. That was all. Why couldn't life be that simple, why did shit like this have to happen?

_Because that's life._

Sango's voice came out of no where, her voice so despairingly sad, that Miroku thought she was behind him. A glance behind him proved she wasn't.

What the hell was going on? First he thought he'd heard Naraku who definitely wasn't there and now Sango? Was he losing his mind like Kagome? Hearing voices where no one else could? Thinking on how Kagome had been, a flower in bloom shaded by the wilting petals - two dualities that should not be possible, was the last straw. He would not be somebody's puppet or play thing. He would not let himself be manipulated by a THING. A bloody, useless inanimate object! NEVER!!! "I want none of this! I don't! Just go away and leave me alone!" His voice was hoarse, rubbed so raw, he didn't recognize it. "Go away! Just go AWAY!"

As if the moon light could change colour at the tip of a hat, Miroku was surrounded by a red, pulsating light. It couldn't have been more than a second, but he saw a small ball-shape object fly right to him as if he had been locked in the slow motion mechanics of a bad dream,. Fist around the stone, catching it as if he was Superman stopping a bullet, he felt it tremble in his hand. Like interlocking veins, fabric came to life around his fist to form some sort of hand guard. Black and purple, it took shape and colour as if it was a living growing being spewed forth from the stone within his grasp. He didn't dare ask what it was, he knew it without question.

The Shikon no Tama had found him.


End file.
